


In the Conservatory, With a candlestick, by...

by KnitKnitRead



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 10:15:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13432581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnitKnitRead/pseuds/KnitKnitRead
Summary: Hermione Granger has been murdered!





	In the Conservatory, With a candlestick, by...

November 1, 1998

Severus watched as Hannah floated around the room serving drinks and he wished that they could both just be at home. But no. She was hired as a waitress for the event hosted by that mongrel, Black. Any party with Sirius Black as a host was a party where he was neither welcome, nor truly wished to be.

So there he stood trying not to choke on Ronald Weasley’s cigarette smoke, attempting to find a way to sneak inside to surprise Hannah when she had a break.

To his left he spotted Hermione and Harry. Hermione kept looking at Ron and scrunching up her nose in disgust. 

The two had been discussing some trip Granger would be taking to Australia. Something about her parents.

***

Finally. Finally, he had been able to sneak into the party. It was just after 9pm when he slipped into the kitchen pantry with Hannah. At this point, everyone was sitting for dinner.They had just enough time for a quick fumble.

Hannah was looking particularly disheveled and unsteady on her feet. Severus couldn't help but be smug. He slunk off to find a dark corner to hide in.

“I'm already here. Might as well watch them make fools of themselves,” he muttered.

***

Severus found a nice quiet corner and was only rarely bothered. The odd couple looking for a place to snog. Occasionally, a former student would come by to chat but they quickly went on their way. Severus was more interested in watching Hannah.

Then it happened, the scream. Everyone raced to the conservatory to find Hannah weeping over the bludgeoned corpse of Hermione Granger.

Hermione lay on the ground, staring up at the glass panes with a bloodied candlestick laying next to her battered skull. 

Everything happened quickly after that. The aurors arrived and questioned everyone. Wands that had been left at the door were found to have vanished. Severus received the most thorough questioning simply by being a gate crasher.

The investigation showed nothing. No magical residue. No bloody clothes. No one saw anything. No one had any motive to kill the brightest witch of her age.

It remained a cold case.

***

January 1st, 1999

“Hannah, please. Talk to me.”

Hannah said nothing as she got up and left the restaurant having ended her short relationship with Severus.

***

March 10th, 1999

She truly felt horrible for having done this to Professor Snape. It was necessary though.

Hannah sat in a coffee shop in Cleveland, thinking over the last few months. It had taken a lot of work to pull this off. It was worth it. 

Months of small withdrawals from Gringotts, perfecting that potion, and planning that party. All to have Hermione Granger die.

As Hannah sat sipping her tea, she thought of the night of the murder.

***

Hermione stood in the conservatory, holding a heavy, silver candlestick. Using the candlelight to better view one of the numerous rare plants.

“Hermione, everything ok?” asked the Hufflepuff carrying the tray of drinks.

Hermione said nothing as she set down the candlestick and grabbed two drinks. She smirked before handing one back to Hannah.

“Have a drink with me? You've been working so hard all night.”

“I really shouldn't,” Hannah murmured with a mischievous tone.

“To the future!”

“To the future!"

Both witches took a sip of champagne.

The swap was instant. Before Hannah could process that she was now in another body, she was being hit repeatedly with the candlestick. She thought of Severus as the world faded.

Hermione/Hannah walked to the end of the conservatory and tapped a piece of the interior wall to reveal at hidden cupboard. She quickly changed into the fresh waitress uniform, stowing the bloodied clothes into the cabinet, and confirmed that no blood had gotten on her face.

She walked back to the body and let put a blood curdling scream, dropping to her knees and making a show of checking the body over as the guests rushed into the room.

***

And this is how Hermione found herself in Ohio, her consciousness residing in the body of Hannah Abbott.

Two months after the war, Hermione's brain started to attack itself. She was slowly on her way to the Janus Thickey ward.

Very few people knew the true extent of the damage caused by Cruciatus. Especially when the curse is cast by someone so enthusiastic and over long periods of time. Bellatrix really had perfected the art of torture. The only people who truly understood were Neville’s parents.

It would have occurred more rapidly, had the torture not been cut short. Hermione was bought extra time simply because she was only subjected to the curse by one caster and for a much shorter time.

Hermione had a new body, a fresh start. She planned to enjoy her life.


End file.
